Separating strip for the subdivision of concrete or the like structures



Jan. 14, 1930. A. c. FISCHER SEPARATING STRIP FOR THE SUBDIVISION OF CONCRETE OR THE LIKE STRUCTURES Filed Jan. 24, 1927 v flberi 512561261;

Patented J 14, 1 930 UNITED STATES- PATENT ofFF-Ica ALBERT c. rrscnna,

racruams COMPANY,

orsomcaeo, ILLmoIs, ASSIGNOR TO THE InILIr c nnv mu- A coRroIm'I'IoN or 01110 .snrm'rnm s'ra r roh THE SUBDIVISION or CONCRETE on THE LIKE srnuc'rimns Application fll'ed January 24,1927- Serial No. 163,053.

While the salient features of my present invention in some respects; embrace the in,-

herent qualities of an expansion joint installation, it is more particularly concerned with that type of installation more correctly referred' to as a separting strip, or perhaps a contraction joint. Even more speclfically,

the installation is concerned with a cheap yet practical means of developing interlocking engagement between the. concrete sections so as to prevent the sections from bulgmg along -the line of separation, due to more or less severe expansion of the sections. This object go is accomplished by. developing a groove in one sectionwith a complementary tongue in .a confronting section fitting the tongue and thus locking the sections together. This expedient has been suggested before as and the. novelty in the present invention resides in a cheapyet practical means of reducing the sameto practice.

trated. the preferred embodiment of my invention, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sheet material from which I produce the so-called separating strip Figure 2 is a perspective view 0 the trough shaped metal reinforcing form which is used plastic structure, either. type .being more or less expensive as compared to the present form.

In constructing the strip I propose to utilize a flexible sheet 5, such as illustrated in Figure 1. The same may be a sheet of saturated roofing felt or any other material suittwo parts together.

In this connection I will refer to an installing tion in that it will provide a backing-board in combination with the sheet material of able for the purpose, so long asit is cheaply acquired. For all' practical purposes it should be waterproofed and capable of separating the. sections of the concrete poured around the same. To make the tongue and groove structure I prefer to employ a strip o'fsheet metal formed into a rough-like structure 6. Using this trough-like metal sheet as a form I present same longitudinally of the sheet-or strip 5, and press the material of'the strip into the. form, using a suitable adhesive to retain the v 1 .This assembly forms the required tongue and groove construction and develops a longitudinal reinforcing strip along the strip 5. The flat portions'of the strip at the top and bottom of the tongue and groove thus formed, while somewhat reinforced and stiffened by the trough 6, are still too flexible to enable 'the separating strip to be installed by standing it up on edge and pouring the concrete around it, so that some suitable installing de- I vice must be used to obtain the best results.

device shown in my co-pending a plication filed as of even'date herewith, erial No. In the accompanying drawing I have mus- This form of installing device will con veniently accommodate the present construcso which will. lie flush against the grooved side of the strip 5, and with the connectedpart overlying the opposi'teor tongue side of a strip 5 the stakes of the installing device will support the assembly so that the concrete may be poured against the same without disturbing the perpendicular alignment of the strip. After the concrete has been poured around the tongue side of the strip the backing board of the installing" device is moved out of the way so that the concrete may be poured against the grooved side of the strip.

The pouring of the concrete on opposite sides of the strip will develop a groove in one section of the concrete and a tongue in the other, so that the sections are locked together. The flat portions of the strip Q will separate the sections, so that for all practicalpurposes the sections are prevented from riding one up over the other allldwell contraction of the concrete will enable the sections to move apart.- In some instances theflat portion of the strip 5 above the tongue and groove would-be imbedded below the surface of the concrete, and

other times it may terminate flush with the surface of the concrete. If imbedded belo the surface of the concrete it will benoted that the sections are not divided the'entire depth of the concrete, but upon contraction in such cases any cracks that will occur will be controlled to such an extent that. the cracks will follow out the'weakened area,-as a result I of the imbedded strip, and theyare thus preventedfrom occurring at irregularintervals and in irregular. directions throughout the surface of the concrete. 7 The fiat portion below the tongue and groove structure will ordinarily terminate short of the base of the COI1-'. es the strips excrete, but'in some instanc tend to the subsoil.

In some instances Imay des1re to use transverse dowels or reinforcing rods in combination with this tongue-and groove separating strip, in which event holes or openings 7 maybe punched or otherwise formed in the-metal troughs 6, and corresponding .holes made in thesheet-material formedg'into the trough so that the rods may be received transversely of the strip for imbedding therein concrete sections.

I would not expect the preferred' imbodiment of this strip to develop any special compensation for expansionof the'concrete sec tions, at least so far as concerns compensating for expansion -by inherent compressibilityof the separatingustrip but such a result could .be very readily rea'ized by producing. the strip 5 of a thickness suflicient to .permit for and compressibly yield to expansionof the sections. This additional thickness could be connection between the Hat portions of the" sheet and the intermediate tongue and groove portions. 1

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 13th day of January, 1927.

ALBERT o. FISCHER.

develo ed invariousways, oneof which flexible sheet materialand an intermediate tongue and groove portion connecting said up er and' lower flat portions, anda metal rein orcement for said tongue and groove por tions-positioned intermediate the upper and.

lower edges of 'the' flexible sheet.

2. A separating'strip of the class described, com rising upper and lower flat portions of lien tongue and groove portion -connecting said upper" and lower flat portions ,'and a troughshaped metal reinforcement fitting over the tongue and groove portions, the edges of the reinforcement terminating along the line of le sheet "material and anintermediate 

